"I don't know what this is about, but I've got nothing better to do. And seeing as how we just killed what looks like a guard, I think we should disappear and visit our new friend." No takes a quick look around to see if any other guards matching the armor of the skull-bashed corpse were coming towards him, before slipping into the crowds and begin asking for directions to Gray Dragon Lane.
As the dwarf leaps away, Krachxton rolls his eyes. The Harmonium were getting thick, and he was more likely to get in their way and receive their justice than to help. Scanning back, he sees the human and construct beginning to move away.
Catching he downed Mercykiller from where they were leaving, he realizes that these people need a guide. He turns to the Githzerai, "If we want to learn how a human got a Githyanki to teach him swordplay instead of using it on him, we'd better move."
With that he'll begin navigating the crowd, using the construct as a guide to them.
Lun nods to Krachxton and follows along with him.
What follows is a pandemonium of screaming, running people, riots broken up and people arrested and dragged on the floor. No longer is the mass pushing in one direction - they're now pushing in all directions. Still, moving with the flow of the crowd is much easier now, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to move safely to the side.
The road to Grey dragon lane winds past the gatehouse, home of the barmies, and the Grand Bazaar. The air - sooty and foggy as it was near the temple - is slightly clearer here. Not much, but all bits help.
The great gymnasium marks the entry to the clerk's ward, and a worn sign spells out 'Grey Dragon Lane'. On number one, a one-story building holds a sign of book and a wand, indicating a magical shop. Number two is a boarding house, indicated by the sign of a bed, while number three is a general store. Number four a pub, and number five an abandoned shack. Number six says 'Ragnaal and Fluuz, scribes'. Number seven is the white-stone facade - including white pillars - of the clerks Davots, Trillan and Snoob (ltd.), though the firm is closed today, because of - according to a note on the door - a holiday on mount Clanggedin - wherever that is.
The lower story of number eight is a pastry shop, while the sign for the upper floor says
Balthazar Thames,
solver of mysteries,
finder of lost objects,
friend for hire.
-- one flight up ---
Number ten is another boarding house.
"Perhaps before we enter this place we should formally introduce ourselves to one another. I am Lun Tsu, student of Zerth and practitioner of the Four Winds. This is the second time I have been in the Cage. Honestly, I was passing through back to my monastery after spending time on the Primes and was not planning on staying even this long".
"I am Krachxton. Born in Sigil with a detour to the plane of Earth. Since I've come back I've been focusing on learning and improving myself."
"...bleedin' Cage is right." the old man murmurs bitterly. "Been here, what, twenty, thirty years now? Time all starts to bleed together without seasons and whatnot. First I was tryin' ter get home, but somewhere along the line I stopped seeing the point, didn't I? Now I'm just trying ter die well an' not bleeding out in some alleyway in the Hive."
He pulls a longsword from the large rucksack he carries under his arm, belting it around his waist.
"People come an' go in this place, but those that know me call me Bart. Old Bart... 'sif a feller needs reminding. Well met, planeswalkers."
"Cedric Fuzzyknuckles, amateur planer explorer." The gnome looks down at the clawed hand of his outsider. "Oh I completely forgot I was still wearing it. Give me a moment" The gnome shuts his eyes and concentrates only to find his efforts are wasted. "It appears that the nature of this 'cage' is preventing me from sending this symbiotic outsider back to its home dimension." Cedric says with a nervous laugh.
"I am No Levar, Pirate Wanderer of the Planes. I do not know what my Prime is called and I can't seem to find my way back. I guess I.... used to be human, but I'm not much of a normal human anymore. Whatever happened to me on my home plane seemed to have changed me." He moves his hand to rest on the hilt of his sawtooth blade, looking over at Lun, "...and it was the Githyanki that taught me the way of spell and sword before I was pulled again from their home, the Astral Plane I believe it was, and met Cedric among a few others who didn't seem to make the trip to Sigil...." He looks down at his clothes, still stained with the river of blood and gives out a large sigh as he realizes he isn't making a good impression with his attire and decides to tug off his shirt and let it fall to the ground. No Levar now stands only wearing a pair of loose billowy pirate pants with his wits and reflexes as his armor, hand still resting lightly on the only companion he has had through his travels, his sword.
"Heh. Hope you've a privy in there." the old man says, with a yellow-toothed grin, extending a scrawny arm to shake the construct's hand. "Ah, I shouldn't make fun of a feller in a bind. Not in my code, that ain't. Pleasure to meet you, Gnome."
His expression seems to waver just slightly at the word pirate, but breaks into a crooked grin once again. "You two look like you've had quite a journey."
"Ah, interesting." he says as he examines the 'construct' in less chaotic environments. "I've never seen anything like this, though I suppose most would stay away from Sigil." He nod to the others as well.
Lun strokes his chin at No Levar's explanation, "Such behavior I have never heard of from them. It seems oddly benevolent of them to do so No Levar. How much time did you spend with them?"
"If my line of work has taught me anything, it's never to trust anyone, and I trust them just as much as anyone else. They helped me, yes, but I felt an irking notion that it wasn't for my own benefit." His hands locked together as he stretched his arms out above his head and twisted his torso to work out the kinks from their last planar traveling. "Suspicion arose from the day they found me, almost too fortunate for a human lost in the Astral plane. I forget how long I was with them, it felt like ages, but time stops mattering when you forget to keep track of the days and cease to grow older. Before I met them I was merely a dishonorable pirate..." his hands moved back to his hip as if by habit, "...and now I'm a powerful dishonorable pirate." he chuckled at his joke. "I jest. What made me a great pirate was my crew and I know that. I work well on a team as long as I'm getting my fair share of the booty."
Since they were getting to know each other and waiting to go inside, No Levar took the time to rest his legs a bit and found a place to sit down and drop his backpack to the ground. "Enough about me, what is your interest with the Githyanki? Aren't they your people?"
Bart tuts, and sheepishly busies himself staring off into the distance, trying to trace the many neighborhoods of Sigil in the great ring extending into the sky. "... hoooo boy."
"That training came in handy. Had a few rough spots in that abyssal plain." Cedric's eyes go wide as he remembers something. "Speaking of that trip what are we going to do with that orb. I say bury the thing and be done with it as I see no good coming from doing what that demon asked."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Lun closes his eyes and practices his breathing techniques taught by Sensei Belthomais to acjieve calm as he knows that No Levar does not understand the insult that he just laid at the feet of the Githzerai Monk.
In a calm voice Lun responds, "No Human. Githyanki are not the same as Githzerai. Perhaps to the untrained eye we may appear to be the same but our differences are akin to those between a Solar and a Baalor. Githyanki are treacherous, vicious, hateful, scoundrels who value chaos above order and destruction above enlightenment. No we are nothing alike. I fear there is something they seek from you, if they have not gotten it yet, ware your next visit from them".
Lun looks to Cedric, "Demons bearing gifts have ill intent that is without question. Do you know what this creature gave to you?"
Bart watches No Levar with an expression of wry amusement, but Cedric's comment gives him pause. He stiffens, seeming at once taller and more imposing, hand lingering over the longsword at his waist. "This orb. Let me see it." he insists, firmly, the good humour in his voice draining away. He scratches at his beard, closes his eyes, then reopens them again, staring fixedly at the object.
Bart inspects the orb while the party stands outside on Gray Dragon Lane. The orb is definitely evil - unsurprisingly for an artefact of Avernus. It is a polished sphere of greyish stone, opalescent. Other than its origin - the second layer of the Nine Hells - Bart knows little about it.
"Here is Sigil there is no doubt someone we can meet with who can tell us more about this strange object. Perhaps first though we should find out what this Balthazar Thames seeks from us".
"You say somebody asked you to do something with the orb?" asks the oread, "I would be cautious about participating in the plan of a fiend. Or an Archon for that matter. The outer planes are full of beings who often focus on the goals of their ideology over the lives of individuals."
"Indeed." the old man grunts. "Then p'raps later you can tell me what the two of you were doing dealing with fiends in the first place. Trouble, ain't no mistake."
Without pausing for a reply, Old Bart knocks brusquely on the door.
"Well it was a matter of take this orb and place it on top of a high building or an overwhelming host of demons rip you apart. Honestly I thought we'd just bury it as I believe it has some scrying properties." Cedric answers regarding the orb.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The door seems to be unlocked, and when it opens, it swing open to reveal a wide staircase, that climbs to a wide landing, and another door.
Smack dab in the middle of the staircase, somehow looking wedged in, is a massive ogre mage, with large ivory horn. He smiles with a broad says then says, somewhat jestingly Balthazar Thames, I presume?
The blue-skinned giant breaks another grin and then continues I've been waiting for you for hours.
Still, I realise you have mysteries to solve or objects to find, or what is it you planes walkers do these days? In fact, the reason I have come calling... he stops mid sentence, then sys Oh, where are my manners! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Estevan, merchant Lord of the Planar Consortium.
"I'll heed your word, Githzerai. I know all things come at a cost, but I'd pay any price for my life." No shudders at the reminder of their visit to the second layer of the Nine Hells. "We were wounded, and half the party we were when we arrived to that plane. We didn't have much choice but to accept its deal. And as I just said, I gladly bargain for my life. However, I don't think we have to plant it immediately. No reason we can't have someone take a better look at it, with discretion of course. Wouldn't want to alert the authorities of Sigil that we have an evil artifact in our possession."
No Levar gets up and waits for the others to enter the building first, reminiscing of his years with the Githyanki. Little did he know that in his near future, the price for his life will be revealed clearly.
Lun nods in response to the Estevan, "Is it you who has requested our presence here Merchant Lord?"
Yes, of course. You can help me retrieve the item that I've lost, can you not?
Someone has stolen a ledger from my office. the merchant says It's a large volume with a cover of silver scales. It's got a distinctive icon in the lower right corner, which makes it rather easy to recognise: a stylised rendering of a grim gargoyle
I believe it was taken from me by agents of Jerkot's imports, one of my more troublesome competitors. Retrieve the ledger, and bring it to my office on Pride Street, near the Hall of Records. I'll pay you thrice your usual fee.
While he wasn't the one given the card, Krachxton will speak, "Ah, I believe there has been some confusion. We were summoned by Mr Thames as well. But if he's not available, then perhaps we can assist you." Well he knew that self-improvement came from challenges, sometimes small, sometimes large. But still, things weren't always as they seemed. As he talks, he reads the merchant's body language, looking to see if there's more to the story.
"Why do they want this ledger so badly?" Cedric asks, "Is there something in there that you do not wish the proper authorities to see?"
Well, as an associate of mister Thames, I believe you can help me as well, then.
The ledger contains important information on my operations. To have this in the hands of a competitor, especially one as... unpleasant as Jerkot is a disaster!
By the way, I noticed that the door up here has been forces open. Estevan says I've been calling, but there doesn't seem to be anybody around. I would have checked the situation out, but I've had trouble enough getting this far into the building. Thames' lovely associate, Beranda, should have answered. I do hope she is alright.
"Well, I'll be." Bart says, falling silence as Estevan speaks and watching him through narrowed eyes.
"Wh... Trouble!" he starts, jumping to attention. "Quick! Someone strap me into my armour an' we'll investigate." he says, emptying his rucksack on the floor, revealing a suit of mail and a heavy shield wrapped in a few tattered blankets, a heavy leatherbound tome, some mouldy bread and the remains of a fresh-cooked rat, half eaten. He stuffs his lunch and the tome hastily back into his bag.
"Can't be too careful." he says in hushed tones, glancing toward the orb as he speaks, eyes darting back and forth. "Eyes everywhere."
Looking over the others, he realizes that he's probably the only one who knows how the armor would go. He'll begin helping Bart get prepared for this. He tries to ignore the squishiness.
Lun stares at the steel as it bounces on the stairs and shrugs. Luckily Krachxton lends his aid to Old Bart, "Bart, are you a warrior? I had the sense you were some sort of spell wielder".
"All that metal would just slow me down." He watches from the side as Krachxton helps Bart, not knowing anything about how to put on armor.
"You just don't know how to move in it." he says as he buckles the straps. "Once you know the tricks, even the thickest plate won't slow you down."
Once the armor is strapped down, he'll uncoil his chain and look to the others, "Ready?"
"Where can we find Jerkot imports? I am new here and do not know the city at all." Cedric asks before following one of the others blindly.
With Krachxton's help it only takes two minutes for Bart to be strapped into his dusty chainmail. The crest on his shield has long since faded, and any grandeur the armour may have had has long faded. Yet wearing it the old man seems to carry himself taller, more regal. "A warrior, that's what I was, way back on my Prime. Here I don't know what I am." Bart says, misty eyed. "Besides, I wouldn't know a staff of the magi from my own elbow. Let's investigate this here building first before we go gallivanting off. Might be folks in trouble."
Bart begins to detect evil, moving upstairs with weapon raised.
Lun places a hand on Bart's shoulder, "I see the heart and spirit of a warrior Bart. I shall lead the way". The swift footed monk takes the stairs two at a time his senses alert for danger as he looks into the doorway.
Perception
The glass orb still detects as evil, but otherwise Bart does not detect anything, also not from the merchant. Even the floating skull - which has been oddly silent lately - does not betray any malicious intent.
With the huge ogre in the way, the party almost has to climb over Estevan, something he tolerates well. The door at the top landing is partially open.
The door to the office reveals a large room. A thick carpet covers the floor, but that's the only indication that the room was once an opulent office. The furniture has been thrown about, and broken. It litters the area close to the four walls. Papers are scattered everywhere, as though a great wind storm passed through. There's no sign whatsoever of Balthazar Thames, his assistant Beranda, or the thieves who forces the door open.
"Be very careful not to disturb anything. If you aren't a skilled observer, it would be better to stay back." He will step in carefully, looking to see if there is anything obviously missing. In addition, he will check the furniture and walls for hidden compartments.
No Levar follows the group at the tail, keeping a wary eye out for any trouble that might be coming their way. He squeezes himself past the ogre and gets upstairs, only to see that it's a giant mess of papers. He nods to Krachxton's remark and stays on the outer edge of the room, making sure not to step on anything important as he looks for a possible alternate exit the thieves may have taken.
Without warning, a powerful cyclone wind spins into existence, in the centre of the room. The forceful currents of air grab hold of the adventurers, twirling you like leaves in a fall breeze. The furniture and scattered papers are caught up in the unnatural wind storms as well, and a few heavy pieces fly dangerously close to No's head. The wind howls louder and louder, until a bright light explodes in the centre of the room. The light reminds you of the effect that accompanies a portal.
For No and Krachxton, there is little escape, though Bart, Cedric and Lun only see the effect from the edge of the room.
Being caught in the middle of the portal, Krachxton will bend his knees and prepare for a rough landing.
Not wanting to abbandon the only person he knows here, Cedric grabs the door frame and reaches into the vortex for No Levar.
Always prepared for a storm, No Levar looks back at the group and makes a leap to Cedric to try and grab his extended construct hand.
To the extent he can Lun will assist Cedric in grabbing their allies and pulling them from the room.
Lun grabs a firm hold of Cedric, who in turn reaches out for No. Together, they weather the storm in the room, though when the winds subside, the groups finds itself within the confines of a gargantuan cube. Next to them is a great iron archway, inert.
Inside the cube, as far as the eye can see, are piles of scrap, strange items and other junk. Upon closer inspection, they all seem to be made out of some greyish ironlike stone, except for one item: a gargoyle on top of a pillar, right in front of the party. It's face is locked in the same grim expression as the gargoyle on the calling card.
Krachxton will dust himself off and look around. Seeing that everybody seems uninjured, he'll turn to the one most likely to know what the hell is going on. The Gargoyle. "Greetings. We've been called by Balthazar Thames. Would you happen to know his location? For that matter, can you let us know where we are."
Cedric looks around at the sourndings, "I don't think I will ever get use to that." He says as the room slowly stops spinning.
The Ogre Mage merchant is nowhere to be seen. Krachxton approaches the Gargoyle and addresses it, but the winged creature shows no reaction. The gargoyle is completely carved of grey stone, even its eyes are covered by the material. The sole exemption is a blood-red gem, that fills a cavity over its heart. In this cold, iron cave, the glow of the gem is perhaps the only source of fire.